Emergency releasable locking mechanism for detention screens



March 31, 1953 E, WILLETT ET AL 2,633,192

EMERGENCY REILEASABLE LOCKING MECHANISM FOR DETENTION SCREENS Filed Sept. 22, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTORS LEON E. WILLETT 8- FRANK R. E. SMITH BY d 7% M MM ATTORNEYS March 31, 1953 L." E. WILLETT ET AL 2,633,192

EMERGENCY RELEASABLE LOCKING MECHANISM FOR DETENTION SCREENS Filed Sept. 22, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 IN V EN TOR-S LEON E. WILLETT 2. H6 Y FRANK R. E. SM!TH ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 31, 1953 EMERGENCY RELEASABLE LOCKING MEQHF ANISM FOR DETENTION SCREENS Leon E. Willett and Frank R. E. Smith, Detroit, Mich, assignors to Chamberlin Company o Amer c De r t, Mich, a. co pqr t n. of

Mic gan Application September 22, 1950, Serial No. 186,220

(01. USO-@353) 12 Glaims This invention relates to detention screens, such as are used in hospitals, psychiatric institutions, and other places to restrain patients from escape, as well as in homes, apartment houses, and elsewhere to prevent injury either to the person or to the screen. The invention is an improvement on the screen described and claimed in our prior U. S. Patent No. 2,417,711, granted March 18, 1947, for Detention Screen, to which reference may be had if desirable or necessary.

In said prior patent we disclosed a novel and improved detention screen consisting of a generally rectangular open frame composed of hollow members assembled to form a two part housing within which the screen panel is resiliently secured. One of said parts served as a subframe and the other part as a swinging carrier for the screen panel. In this construction, which is shown in the accompanying drawings only to an extent necessary for an understanding of the present invention, easy access could be had to all interior operating parts, such as the resilient screen supporting means, and the swinging portion of the assembly could be readily opened or secured from the inner side of the window, and the resilient tension of the panel suspension means could be adjusted without taking the whole assembly apart.

In most. institutions in which such detention screens are used, the patients should not be presumedto be capable of normal reasoning, or at least cannot always be depended upon to follow the safest or most logical course in an emergency. In case of fire, for example, their first thought might be to escape through the window, but detention screens normally are locked and the doors from a corridor to the rooms might be locked and inaccessible to custodians, etc., or even if the doors could be opened by an attendant or by remote control the patient could not be expected to safely find the way to a predetermined fire escape.

'The problem then has been to so secure the detention screen that it can only be opened by an attendant. from the inside, but in cases of emergency it can be opened from the outside by firemen or others, and this constitutes the principal object of the present invention.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from a study of the following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. .l is an inside elevationalview of a detention screen embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but taken from outside the screen.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View, somewhat enlarged, taken on the line 3-.-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4.-4 of Fi 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 51-95 of Fig. 4 but showing parts of the complete cross section of the screen.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line. 6-96 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line l -.1 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view, in elevation, showing means for operating several screens simulta-v neously.

The metal frame consists of inner and outer frame members 23 and 2| each extending around the four sides of the, opening, said members being mitered or butted at the corners and lying opposite to each other with the open sides of their channels facing each other when the screen frame is closed, as best shown, for example, in Fig. 5. The two frame members are hinged together along one vertical side of the screen, the hinge being here shown only in section at the right side of Fig. 5 wherein the member 20 is shown as havwing attached thereto an arm 22 swingable about a vertical hinge axis 23 carried on a complementary hinge bracket 24 attached to member 2| by screws 25. It may now be apparent from an examination of Pig. 5 that if bolt 26 is withdrawn -to the right by means to be later disclosed, the

inner member 20 may be swung clockwise, around axis 23, it being remembered that this movement constitutes swing of member 20 inwardly into the room, the member 2| being fixed in the building 1 wall.

Member 20 carries the screen panel and associated resilient mounting parts. It also carries one or more bolts 26, one only being shown (Figs. 4 and 5), and there are two or more hinges spaced vertically along the screen edge, only one being shown in section in Fig. 5. The screen panel 2! is grasped around its peripheral edges by clamping members 28 each suspended on a respective end of a leaf spring 29. Such spring leaf passes through an open yoke or loop 30. A screw 3! is threaded into a suitable threaded hole in the yoke, the screw head being rotatably retained in a peripheral edge 20a of frame member 20. The yoke is assembled and positioned for sliding movement responsive to screw rotation by means of a guide 32 in the channel of frame member 20. The particular structure and advantage of this manner of assembly is more fully shown and described in a co-pending application of Leon Willett. one. of the present inventors, Serial No.

656,644, filed March 23, 1946, now Patent No. 2,537,109, issued January 9, 1951, for Metal Screen Frame, to which reference may be had if desirable.

The frame members may be locked in closed position as follows: The bolts 26, heretofore referred to are mounted for sliding movement outwardly through the periphery of the inner frame member to a locked position wherein the outer tip 26a enters behind the retaining flange 2|b of outer frame member 2| (Fig. Movement of bolt 26 is effected by endwise movement of rods or links 35, 35a which draw cam plates 36 past respective bolts. Each bolt has a pin 31 fixed thereto, a portion of the pin entering an inclined slot 38 in a cam plate which serves as a movable cam track. It will be apparent, for example, that movement of cam plate 36 upwardly (Fig. 4) causes pin 3'! to move to the right, being urged thereto by the lower inclined edge of slot 38, so as to cause the bolt to move inwardly to unlocked position. Reverse movement of rod 35 moves the bolt outwardly.

The rods are moved endwise, by an operator in the interior of the room, by means of a key 45 insertible through a keyhole 4| in the face of the inner frame member, so that its operating tip enters a lock 42 fixed Within the channel of frame member 20. The key stem has certain rounded portions 40a and certain polygonal portions 4% (in this case hexagonal). The lock has certain fixed retainer plates 42a with which the circular portions 40a of the key must be registered before the key can be turned. Turning of the key causes certain rotatable plates 42b of the lock to be turned by hexagonal key parts 45b. Attached to the rotatable plates 42b are crank arms 44 which move respective rods 35, 35a, to produce the locking and unlocking endwise movement of the rods. One such rod could extend the full length of the frame to operate all bolts, but for convenience in assembly, and providing for a slight cocking movement in operation by the crank arms, two rods are used, one above the lock and the other below it.

The locking structure so far described was known prior to the present invention, being shown in the aforesaid co-pending application of Leon E. Willett, Serial Number 656,644, now Patent No. 2,537,109, issued January 9, 1951, but it could not be operated from the outside face of the screen, and was subject to the various disadvantages heretofore mentioned. By means of the present invention it is possible to equip detention screen members with means effective on the locking elements just described, so that the look, while still securable only from the inside, can be readily openable from the outside. Means will also be described for simultaneously unlocking a plurality of screens on a row of windows.

At the lower end of the locking rod assembly is an end extension 350 pivotally and removably securable to the cam plate 36. Its tip portion is threaded to adjustably receive an abutment means 4'! which in this instance is an angular plate having one portion extending slidably behind a fixed guide pin 48. Obviously an upward force exerted against plate 41 (Fig. 4) would move the locking rod assembly upwardly and cause withdrawal of bolt 26 to the left to unlock the screen. This force is applied by means of the following device.

Mounted on the inner face of outer member 2| is a lock operating system comprising a bell crank lever 49 (Fig. 4) pivoted at v5|) and having one arm abuttable against the abutment 41 and another arm pivoted at 5| to a link 52 which in turn is pivotally attached at 53 to a crank 54 which is rotatable on an axis 55 on member 2|. Still referring to Fig. 4, rotation of crank 54 counterclockwise advances link 52 to the left and swings bell crank 39 clockwise, so that its working end moves abutment 41 from the full line position to the dotted line position, unlocking bolt 25. Crank 54 is operated from the outer face of the screen by means of a key 56 having a hexagonal stem 56a insertible through an aperture in outer screen member 2|. For clarity, in making the showing of Fig. 4, the section line was so selected as'to place the operating leverage just described in easily understandable relationship to the locking rod assembly and it must be noted that said operating leverage is carried on the inner face of frame member 2|, and not on member 20.

In the usual construction wherein detention screens of the nature described are required, the patients safety makes it a practical necessity that the glass window be disposed outside the screen. An attendant usually opens the screen from the inside, as already described, and opens or shuts the glass window in accordance with desired ventilation conditions. Mechanical opening or closing devices may, however, be provided Which can be operated by a control, from the inside, to open the glass window without; opening the screen. In any event the glass window need not be looked as long as the detention screen is locked. In emergencies, such as fire or the like, anyone on the outside may open the glass window, even if it is necessary to break the pane, if the window happens to be locked, and may then open the detention screen as already described.

Fig. 8 shows an arrangement whereby a plurality of screens may be open simultaneously, by remote control. The view shows the outside of the screen members 2|, and the arms of the keys 56 heretofore mentioned. Each such arm in this embodiment is provided with a pin 562) which rides in a slot 5! in one arm 58 of a bell crank lever pivoted on an axis 59 fixed in the building wall or otherwise. The other arm 58a is pivotally attached to a linking member or rod 50 which extends past a plurality of the Windows. It will be apparent that endwise movement of the rod 60, will operate the bell crank leverage and the key arms 56. For example, movement of rod 50 to the right in Fig. 8 swings the bell cranks counterclockwise, and thereby operates key arms 56 counterclockwise to open the screens. The rod 6|] may pass through suitable apertures in wall sections between windows.

With a structure such as shown in Fig. 8 an entire bank of screens may be unlocked simultaneously from a single control point at which point suitable mechanical means may be provided for moving the control rods 60. Lock means may be provided at the said control point so that the unlocking operation may be performed only by an authorized person.

What I claim is:

1. In a detention screen having a fixed frame member, and a swingable frame member hinged- .ly connected to said fixed frame member, and

wherein a detention screen panel is carried by said swingable member and positioned between the two said members when they are in closed relationship, screen locking and unlocking means .comprising a lock, normal lock releasing means supported on one said member and accessible from inside said screen and, when operated, effective on said lock to cause locking movement thereof, and emergency lock releasing means carried on the other said member, and accessible from outside said screen and, when operated, effective on said lock to cause unlocking movement thereof.

2. A detention screen lock operating means as defined in claim 1 wherein the normal lock releasing means is carried on the swingable frame member and the emergency lock releasing means is carried on the fixed frame member.

3. A detention screen lock operating means as defined in claim 1 wherein said normal lock releasing means is carried on the swingable frame member, and is adapted both to lock and unlock said swingable member, and wherein said emergency lock releasing means is carried on said fixed screen member, and isadapted only to unlock said swingable member.

4. In a detention screen having a fixed frame member, and a swingable frame member hingedly connected to said fixed frame member, and wherein a detention screen panel is carried by said swingable member and positioned between the two said members when they are in closed relationship, screen locking and unlocking means comprising a bolt slidably carried on said swingable frame member, normal bolt operating means for moving said bolt into and out of retaining engagement with said fixed frame member, and emergency bolt operating means for moving said bolt only out of retaining engagement with said fixed frame member.

5. Screen locking and unlocking means as defined in claim 4 wherein said normal bolt operating means is accessible only from inside said detention screen, and wherein said emergency bolt operating means is accessible only from outside said detention screen.

6. In a detention screen having a fixed frame member, and a swingable frame member hingedly connected to said fixed frame member, and wherein a detention screen panel is carried by said swingable member and positioned between the two said members when they are in closed relationship, screen locking and unlocking means comprising a bolt slidably carried on one said member, normal bolt operating means for moving said bolt into and out of retaining engagement with the other said member, and emergency bolt operating means for moving said bolt only out of retaining engagement with the other said member.

7. In a detention screen having a fixed frame member and a swingable frame member hingedly connected to said fixed frame member, and

wherein a detention screen panel is carried by said swingable member and positioned between the two said members when they are in closed relationship, screen locking and unlocking means comprising a bolt slidably carried on said swingable member, normal release means for moving said bolt into and out of retaining engagement with said fixed frame member comprising a pin fixed to and extending from said bolt, a cam plate movable back and forth adjacent said bolt and having a cam track thereon to engage said pin, a rod extending longitudinally along the edge of said swingable frame member and operatively engaging said cam plate whereby endwise movement of said rod moves said cam plate and consequently said bolt, and emergency release means comprising a lever mounted on the inner face of said fixed frame member having an operating portion operatively abuttable against said rod,

, and means for actuating said lever to move said rod and disengage said bolt.

8. Screen locking and unlocking means as defined in claim 7 wherein said normal release means includes an operating element carried by said swingable member and only accessible for operation from the inside of said screen, and wherein the means for actuating said lever is only accessible for operation from the outside of said screen.

9. Screen locking and unlocking means as defined in claim 7 wherein actuating means is provided for simultaneously engaging the emergency release lever means of a plurality of detention screens to simultaneously unlock said plurality of screens.

10. Screen locking and unlocking means as defined in claim 9 wherein said actuating means is operable from a single control point.

11. In a detention screen having an outside fixed frame member and an inwardly swingable frame member hingedly connected to said outside fixed frame member, and wherein a detention screen panel is carried by said inwardly swingable member and positioned between the two said members when they are in closed relationship, screen locking and unlocking means comprising a bolt slidably carried on said swingable member, and emergency release means for moving said bolt into and out of retaining engagement with said fixed frame member comprising a pin fixed to and extending from said bolt, a cam plate movable back and forth adjacent said bolt and having a cam track thereon to engage said pin, a rod extending longitudinally along the edge of said swingable frame member and operatively engaging said cam plate whereby endwise movement of said rod moves said cam plate and consequently said bolt, a lever mounted on the inner face of said outside fixed frame member having an operating portion operatively abuttable against said rod, and means, accessible for operation only from the outer side of said screen panel and said fixed outside frame member, for actuating said lever to move said rod and disengage said bolt.

12. Screen locking and unlocking means as defined in claim 11 wherein actuating means is provided on the outer side of said screen panel and said fixed outside frame member for simultaneously engaging the emergency release lever means of a plurality of detention screens to simultaneously unlock said plurality of screens and said actuating means is operable from a single control point.

LEON E. WILLE'IT. FRANK R. E. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,417,711 Smith et al Mar. 18, 1947 2,537,109 Willett Jan. 9, 1951 

